Chapter 297

Chapter 297

Su Yi truly acted as she had claimed—mounting the horse required assistance to sit steadily, her movements appearing clumsy and unpracticed, forming a stark contrast to Ping Consort, who swung herself onto the saddle with practiced ease.

Once seated, Ping Consort was poised and ready to depart, casting a glance at Noble Consort Rong, who was clearly lagging behind, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of smug glee.

Noblewomen of the early Qing dynasty were often skilled in horsemanship. Even if the original host of Ping Consort’s body had been proficient, she hadn’t had the time to practice after entering the palace. Fortunately, this weakness could now be polished to skill. As for Noble Consort Rong—in later generations, horseback riding wasn’t something everyone had the opportunity to learn, and after entering the palace here, she certainly hadn’t had the chance either.

A shame. Ping Consort had also heard that Noble Consort Rong had originally been sickly—hardly the type to know how to ride. At least she wouldn’t have to bother pretending otherwise.

Ping Consort was eager to show off, but Noble Consort Rong was still slowly familiarizing herself with the horse, only allowing someone to lead it at a leisurely pace. Kangxi, meanwhile, stayed by her side, occasionally offering reminders for her to take her time.

Watching this, Ping Consort grew increasingly impatient. She wanted to urge them on, but considering Noble Consort Rong’s tendency to twist any pretext into drama—and Kangxi’s unbalanced favor toward her—she swallowed her words. This kind of quiet injustice was something she had only ever seen others suffer before.

Back when she had provoked girls into crying or throwing tantrums by manipulating situations to her advantage, Ping Consort had always watched with amusement. Now, putting herself in their shoes, she realized Noble Consort Rong must be feeling viciously pleased.

The more she thought about it, the more determined Ping Consort became to compete. She had never admitted defeat before!

With a look of unwavering resolve in her eyes, Ping Consort smiled and joined in, "Noble Consort, be careful. Everyone starts like this. Once you get used to it, you’ll understand the rush of a full gallop." She guided her horse closer with practiced ease, appearing completely at ease.

She knew that inexperienced riders often panicked when another horse approached. The more flustered Noble Consort Rong became, the more likely she was to make a mistake—and if she ended up embarrassing herself in her panic…

Kangxi’s brow twitched. "Ping Consort, stay back." He didn’t want any more unnecessary complications.

Noble Consort Rong was always just a step away from stirring chaos.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ping Consort nearly lost her composure!

Su Yi played the part of a complete beginner, hanging on every word of the instructions on riding, nodding occasionally like a model pupil. She tentatively guided the horse forward, trotted a short distance, and stopped—all without a hitch. The horse remained docile and cooperative.

To Ping Consort, these were the simplest of actions. Noble Consort Rong’s repeated attempts seemed unnecessarily slow, yet Kangxi showed no signs of impatience.

As time dragged on, Ping Consort’s patience was tested repeatedly. She bit back her frustration countless times, barely restraining herself from speaking up.

She was terrified that Noble Consort Rong’s dawdling would lead to unforeseen complications.

"Got it. Let me try on my own." Su Yi nodded, signaling for the reins to be released. She rode in small circles within the confined space, already looking somewhat proficient.

As she completed her second lap, Kangxi was about to praise her for enduring the tedious learning process when he suddenly saw her smile widen—terrifyingly gleeful.

His brow twitched again. Before he could grasp the meaning behind that expression, Noble Consort Rong’s voice rang out, brimming with excitement, "I can’t wait any longer—let’s go now!"

Before the last syllable had even faded, she had already spurred her horse into a breakneck pace, kicking into a gallop and accelerating rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained was the distant flick of a horse’s tail.

Chaos, late but inevitable, was here.

Not just the others—even Kangxi was momentarily stunned. After a heartbeat’s hesitation, he snatched the reins of his own horse, mounted swiftly, and gave chase.

Seeing the emperor in pursuit, the rest hurriedly followed, flailing to catch up lest they lose sight of them entirely. The abrupt acceleration left no room for adjustment.

What a ride!

Ping Consort was fuming. She hadn’t expected Noble Consort Rong to spring this trick. Kangxi had immediately given chase, quickly putting distance between them. Fearing she might lose them—and for other reasons—Ping Consort urged her horse forward, every nerve wired tight!

At first, Kangxi had merely pursued, jaw set. Su Yi, being a beginner, shouldn’t have been hard to catch even with her head start.

But this beginner had gone straight to raw speed—no technique, just pure momentum. After all, it’s not like a fall would kill her. The horse she had chosen was gentle in temperament, but its physique was peerless—only the best would have been selected. With the horse cooperating fully, Kangxi actually found it difficult to close the gap in a short time. And as for those who had reacted even slower than him—they were hopelessly behind.

The group of people behind were frantically galloping after her, not daring to lose focus for even a moment, lest they be left behind.

Su Yi's little excursion turned out to be quite the spectacle, with the entire entourage trailing behind her in a chaotic chase.

Even Kangxi's usual composure couldn't keep him from shouting loudly at this moment.

"Noble Consort Rong!"

"Don't ride so fast! Stop!"

"NO! BLE CON! SORT!"

Yet, like an off-leash dog gleefully running wild, the more they called, the faster she ran, completely ignoring them.

And there was simply no stopping her.

From up ahead came a distant, drawn-out reply, "I—CAN'T—HEAR—YOU!"

Yes, this was even more infuriating than simply charging ahead without a response.

In other words, she heard but chose not to listen.

Damn infuriating.

The rest of the group was just as baffled. They had received the abrupt news of a change in plans and knew they had to adapt, but they never expected the "unexpected" to be this unexpected. That's 'unexpected' for you.

Consort Ping, chasing from behind, was about to lose her damn mind. The hot wind only added to her irritation, and she could no longer maintain her composure, her face twisted in fury. But at this point, no one was paying attention to her mood.

Even if they had noticed, no one would have thought much of it—after all, who wouldn't look upset in this situation? Even the Emperor's tone made it clear his expression couldn't be pleasant either.

Only Noble Consort Rong up ahead might've been laughing, tearing ahead like a bat out of hell. Who could have guessed that the same woman who had just been learning to ride with such gentle grace would suddenly turn into a speed demon?

Consort Ping was blindsided by Noble Consort Rong's stunt, and this wrench in her plans filled her with frustration and anger. She badgered her system, even considering how to force Noble Consort Rong to stop before this shit show got worse.

A thought crossed Consort Ping's mind—what if something happened to the horse? If the horse suddenly went wild and threw Noble Consort Rong off... It'd look like an accident.

She asked the system if it was possible, even suggesting she could go into debt for it like she had with the riding skills exchange. After today, she was certain she'd win it all back anyway.

For the first time, the system got why humans sometimes felt speechless.

What made Consort Ping think that a fall from a horse would harm that menace, huh?

The system didn't coldly ignore her, but its reply was devoid of emotion—"Figure it out yourself." For example, catching up would be far more useful.

Hadn't the riding skills exchange already given her the ability to ride effortlessly?

Yet even the Emperor hadn't caught up yet. This bullshit ROI—the sheer futility of investing so much for such meager returns—made the system almost regret not being more selective when choosing its host. If it had known it would end up with her, it would have picked someone far more competent!

This faint regret, however, was something the system would never reveal. Consort Ping, meanwhile, was used to the system's usual aloofness and near-constant silence.

Seeing that the system wouldn't help, Consort Ping gritted her teeth and viciously whipped her horse. The horse, smarting from the lash, bolted forward like mad. Consort Ping white-knuckled the reins but managed to close the gap, almost drew level with Kangxi. She plastered on a worried look and turned to him, saying, "Your Majesty, what should we do? Noble Consort Rong, she—"

She almost ate a tailful of horsehair as the distance between them widened again by a full horse-length. There was simply no room for distraction—one slip, and she fell further behind!

It also meant Kangxi wasn't listening to a damn word she said.

His expression grew darker, lips pressed tightly together, jaw clenched. Just as He was about to blow his top, the figure ahead finally showed signs of slowing, like she'd finally run out of steam after the full-speed charge.